Summary
Christ For All Nations (CfaN) was founded in 1974 by Reinhard Bonnke. Crusades, which began in Africa, are currently held all over the world. In the industrialized world, the literature outreach known as ‘From Minus to Plus’ has reached into 95 million homes in twelve different countries with tens of thousands of churches receiving converts from the resulting enquirers. The countries touched in this way are the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Hong Kong, Canada and the United States of America. This vision still continues actively at this present time in Finland, Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
A little-known arm of this ministry is CfaN’s literature work. Reinhard Bonnke has written a number of books and booklets. At present, a total of over 103 million books have been translated into 123 languages and dialects, and are being printed in 42 different countries.
This organization is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Contact Information: [ Back to top ]
| Mailing Address: | P. O. 590588 2400 Sand Lake Road, Ste 777 (32809)
Orlando, FL
32859-0588 |
| Website: | www.cfan.org |
| Phone: | (407) 854-4400, (407) 251-7000 |
| Email: | You need to enable javascript to see the email |
Organization Details [ Back to top ]
EIN: 942742504
| CEO/President: |
Rev. Daniel Kolenda
|
Tax Deductible: |
Yes |
| Chairman: |
|
Fiscal Year End: |
December 31 |
| Board Size: |
6 |
Financial info from: |
990 |
| Founder: |
Mr. Reinhard Bonnke |
Member of ECFA: |
No |
| Year Founded: |
1974 |
Member of ECFA since: |
|
Reinhard Bonnke founded the international ministry Christ for all Nations (CfaN), with offices location in Africa, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, and the United States.
Since the inception of the ministry, over sixty-five million people have made decisions for Christ and were incorporated into local churches. During the last ten years, over fifty-five million people have made decisions for Christ and were incorporated into the local church.
In addition, CfaN conducts 'Fire Conferences' in many different countries of the world to equip church leaders and workers for evangelism.
This organization is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Christ For All Nations uses the following as their mission statement:
"Africa Shall Be Saved
Program Accomplishments [ Back to top ]
2010 During the last ten years, over sixty-five million recorded decisions have been made for Christ and incorporated into local churches.
Statement of Faith [ Back to top ]
Christ For All Nations uses the following to express its Statement of Faith:
THE BIBLE is the inspired and only infallible and authoritative written Word of God.
There is ONE GOD, eternally existent in three Persons:
God the Father
God the Son
God the Holy Spirit
In the Deity of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His vicarious and atoning death, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right Hand of the Father, His personal future return to this earth in power and glory to rule.
In the BLESSED HOPE - the rapture of the Church at Christ's second coming.
The only means of being cleansed from sin is through repentance and faith in the precious BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.
Regeneration by the HOLY SPIRIT is essential for personal salvation.
The redemptive work of Christ on THE CROSS provides healing for the body in response to believing prayer.
The BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, according to Acts 2:4, is given to believers who ask for it, with the evidence of "speaking in tongues".
In the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is able to live a HOLY LIFE.
In the RESURRECTION of both the saved and the lost, the one to everlasting life and the other to everlasting damnation.
In 1974 the evangelistic organization that is today still known as ‘Christ for all Nations’ was born. The preaching of the Word began to produce a harvest of souls and in addition to this, people were being healed of all kinds of diseases.
In obedience to a word from the Lord, Reinhard Bonnke led his fledgling team to the national stadium of the country of Botswana in the city of Gaberones, to hold a city-wide Gospel Crusade. Although he had never preached in a stadium before, he trusted God for a miracle.
With only one small fellowship co-operating, the meetings began and Reinhard’s disappointment can be imagined when only one hundred people came to the first meeting. He nevertheless preached as if the place were full and to his complete amazement, after only a few minutes, a man in the congregation jumped to his feet and disrupted the proceedings by shouting out, “ I’ve just been healed!” This was repeated five times over as others shouted out the same thing, resulting in an outburst of joyous praise.
The news that God was doing miracles in the stadium soon spread across the city and by the final meeting, for the first time in his short ministry, Reinhard preached to a packed stadium. Thousands streamed forward for forgiveness of their sins, hundreds were healed and thousands more were baptized in the Holy Spirit - and this was just the beginning. On a return visit to the country of Botswana twelve years later, the leader of a large denomination reported that eighty percent of his current pastors were converts from that first crusade in Gaberones.
Events moved rapidly after this as the Yellow Tent seating ten thousand people was built and the results of the ministry began to grow.
Before long the need for a larger tent was crystallized into action by a word from the Lord about the biggest tent of all, one that would seat thirty-four thousand people. Large enough to completely cover three football fields, with masts that rose as high as a six-storey building.
It was only a matter of two years though, before even this huge canopy could no longer contain the masses that were streaming to the Gospel Crusades.
Open-air crusades became the order of the day as hundreds of thousands flocked to every meeting. In one particular crusade held in Kaduna, Nigeria, 500,000 people came to a single meeting with a total of over one and a half million attending the six days of services. The ministry team moved from East Africa to West Africa and back again as the two, now separate, technical and support teams, organized events on opposite sides of the continent of Africa. In a period of twelve consecutive months during this period, in Africa alone Reinhard Bonnke preached face to face to eight million people, and of that vast number, over two million responded to the call of salvation and were ushered into the church follow-up program.
This organization has not offered MinistryWatch.com with specific needs to be posted on the profile. At such a time that MinistryWatch.com receives a response from the ministry, it will be posted immediately.
Research Analysis
Transparency Grade [ Back to top ]
| Transparency Grade of : C |
| Criteria category | Grade | Other Comments |
| Timeliness: | 70 | |
| Financial Information: | 80 | |
| Foundational Clarity: | | |
| Level of Cooperation: | | |
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MinistryWatch.com 5 Star Financial Efficiency Ratings [ Back to top ]
| Ranking Category | Rating | Overall Rank | Evangelism Sector |
|---|
| Overall Efficiency Rating |  | 174 of 347 | 18 of 27 |
| Fund Acquisition Decision |  | 225 of 347 | 23 of 27 |
| Resource Allocation Decision | | 283 of 347 | 23 of 27 |
| Asset Utilization Decision | | 30 of 347 | 3 of 27 |
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MinistryWatch.com’s Take
Great Expectations
Christ for all Nations (CfaN) is the international evangelistic crusade ministry of East German-born evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, founded in response to his own missionary vision of “a blood-washed Africa.” Featuring prophetic visions, miraculous healing – even raising of the dead – and speaking in tongues, Bonnke delivers charismatic style camp meetings on an international scale, evolving from early use of tents reportedly holding as many as 34,000 people to contemporary open air crusades with single session attendance estimates as high as 1.6 million. Having hosted un-numbered millions to date in international crusades, CfaN claims to have followed up with nearly 29 million converts in Africa alone who responded with “decision cards.”
Out of Africa
International efforts have extended to Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, India and South America, with literature distribution reaching 95 million homes in 12 countries including Western Europe and Scandinavia, Hong Kong, Canada and the United States. CfaN’s mission is “to fulfill the great commission of Jesus Christ by taking the message of salvation to all peoples of the world,” with a schedule involving two crusades a month for six months of the year. At such a pace, Bonnke claims to have conducted 63 evangelistic campaigns over a five-year period, remarkable by any standard, if accurate.
Visibility
In addition to extensive literature distribution, CfaN has developed an effective media presence, with regularly scheduled broadcasts on TBN and an attractive website in English as well as German and Spanish. Internet fare includes crusade schedules, letters and testimonials, streaming audio and video programming, devotional and Bible study curricula, online ministry store access and CfaN’s Tenets of Faith. The website offers instructions for estate planning and stock donations, as well as professional services referral for more involved financial planning. Regular support donations are encouraged through conventional means as well as online through a secure server. The website also offers international mailing addresses for CfaN contact in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa.
From the Beginning
The son of a German preacher, Reinhard Bonnke first became burdened for Africa during his youth. After Bible training in Wales and a pastoral stint, Bonnke began a classic tent campaign ministry, increasing in tent size to keep pace with mushrooming attendance. By 1984, Bonnke’s mobile tent was the largest ever used to date, reportedly capable of seating 34,000 people. As attendance continued to exceed capacity, Bonnke changed to open air meetings. Recent crusade photos picture crowds amassed virtually shoulder-to-shoulder.
CfaN’s attendance numbers, however, have not silenced criticism from some who say that Bonnke’s message implies assurances of the miraculous to those for whom modern remedial medical conventions are hopelessly elusive, to those grasping for relief in any form and already culturally conditioned to anticipate the supernatural, whether Christian or cultic. Admitting to the early influence of purportedly prophetic visions, Bonnke’s ministry motto is “Hell empty, heaven full,” believing that God is answering his prayerful plea for 1,000,000 souls with the virtual promise that all of Africa will eventually be saved. Critics point out that, while it is not suggested that the remarkable pictures of Bonnke’s crusades are contrived, they hardly signal an attendant overwhelming sweep of new membership into theologically sound local churches characterized by Biblical discernment and distinguished by adherence to Biblically sound doctrine, and certainly not in numbers commensurate with the assertion that 28,733,783 have been saved.
Dubious Distinctions
While Bonnke claims to have interacted favorably with numerous governmental and diplomatic notables throughout the African continent, some voice skepticism about Bonnke’s near silence concerning apartheid and admitted friendships with heads of state notorious for state sponsored civil rights abuses.
- Bonnke’s reported prophetic pronouncements that Christ may make spectacular local appearances in the context of Bonnke’s scheduled crusades
- Bonnke’s seminal association with Rodney Howard-Browne and proponents of the Holy Laughter movement, as well as the controversial Toronto – Brownsville blessing(s) and the phenomenon of being “slain in the spirit”
- Bonnke’s historical association with C. Peter Wagner (spiritual warfare model for evangelism), and other proponents of bizarre and controversial “new wave” evangelistic methods
- Bonnke’s apparent endorsement of unverifiable healing and resurrection phenomena, including in utero resurrection of an unborn fetus and resurrection of a deceased pastor having reportedly already been embalmed
- Bonnke’s historical association with mainline Word-of-Faith ministries has also drawn understandable criticism from those who reject the Word-of-Faith theological construct as unbiblical
- Bonnke’s confusion of the Gospel with the troubling teaching popularized by Benny Hinn and others that adherents to non-Christian sects such as Islam may profess genuine faith in Christ without accepting Christianity and may subsequently return to their mosques as “Messianic Muslims”
Questions Remain about Faith Ventures
On November 18, 2003, Securities and Exchange Commission Litigation Release No. 18470 named Torsten Thomas Henschke among several individuals and business entities indicted for securities fraud and money laundering in connection with the unregistered offer and sale of “‘joint venture agreements’ to evangelical Christian leaders, members of evangelical congregations, and affiliated organizations.” Among the SEC’s allegations:
“...that the defendants deceived investors, promising to generate investment returns that would benefit Christian ministries through merchandising and manufacturing businesses; but in fact, according to the Commission, the defendants invested little, if any, of the investors' money in that way, and instead used it to make ponzi payments to other investors and support their own extravagant lifestyles...”
Henschke has served as Executive Director of Christ for all Nations and, as of November, 2003, reportedly continued to occupy a seat on CfaN’s governing board.
Strange Fire
Clearly taken by fire as a Scriptural metaphor for God’s power, anointing, even desire, Bonnke asserts that the “will of God is the desire of God. The Word of God is His will, and His desire. His Word is described as fire, because the Word expresses His will and His will is His passion.” While fire certainly has both literal and figurative significance in Scripture, Bonnke’s virtual equivocation with the terms and broad themes of Scripture beg troubling questions about his methods and message.
Scripture is replete with texts emphasizing: that the one coming to God comes on God’s terms; that the Gospel is summed up in the uncompromised words concerning Christ (Romans. 10:17), His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians. 15:3-4; Romans. 1:16); that there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby |they| must be saved (Acts 4:12); that the word of God is the sufficient and completed revelation of God and needs not to be embellished with strange phenomena to be believed (John 20:29). In Leviticus 10:1-2, the sons of Aaron offered “strange fire” before the Lord, attempting priestly ministry in a manner clearly unacceptable to God, with dire consequence. With the methods, message and messengers of Christianity under as much scrutiny as they have ever been, it would seem fitting for ambassadors of Christ to dismiss the quips and questionable showmanship and return to the unadulterated message which alone is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe.
For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16